The First Nationwide Prosecutors' Meeting in 19 Years... Discussion on Responding to the Complete Abolition of Prosecution Review

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[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] A nationwide meeting of rank-and-file prosecutors will be held on the 19th in response to the Democratic Party's legislative push for the 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights (Geomsu Wanbak)' bill. Following Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo's meeting with President Moon Jae-in, where he effectively withdrew his resignation and decided to actively participate in the parliamentary discussions, attention is focused on what stance the rank-and-file prosecutors will take.

The nationwide meeting of rank-and-file prosecutors is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on the 19th in the auditorium on the 2nd floor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, with around 200 prosecutors gathering for a roundtable discussion. This is the first nationwide meeting of rank-and-file prosecutors in 19 years since the last one was held in 2003 in protest against then Minister of Justice Kang Kum-sil's personnel policy that broke seniority. Although meetings on topics such as the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecutors have been held before, rank-and-file prosecutors from across the country have never gathered in one place to discuss.

At the meeting, they plan to share problems arising from the passage of the Geomsu Wanbak bill collected from each office, along with related cases, and discuss side effects that could occur if routine prosecutorial work as it currently stands becomes impossible.

They are also expected to discuss whether to convey a unified opinion from the nationwide meeting to the President and the Speaker of the National Assembly, and whether it is appropriate to communicate their stance.

Prior to the meeting, representatives from 18 local prosecutors' offices and 42 branch offices nationwide reportedly collected and compiled opinions from rank-and-file prosecutors in their respective offices. Prosecutor A said, "We will gather opinions before the meeting, hold internal discussions, and reach a consensus," adding, "We plan to share the bill's flaws and problems that may arise during actual investigations while keeping emotions to a minimum."

Originally, the meeting was scheduled to be held in the morning, but due to the large number of prosecutors wishing to attend, it was agreed to hold the meeting after working hours. At the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the largest prosecutors' office nationwide, 10 prosecutors were expected to attend, with 4 to 5 from district offices and 1 to 3 from each branch office, but the attendance policy was changed to allow any rank-and-file prosecutor who wishes to attend.

After the nationwide meeting of rank-and-file prosecutors concludes, they plan to release their opinions through a statement and a press briefing.

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